Xerographic developing apparatus



Dec; 20, 1960 w. J. BURRIS EFAL 2,965,136

XEROGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed June 16; 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1 Q3 5 INVENTOR.

William J. Burris By Charles L. Huber Cari B. aiser 7 ATTORA/fi'y Dec. 20, 1960 w. J. BURRIS ETAL 2,965,136

XEROGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed June 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

William J. Burris BY Charles L.Huber A 7' TORNE V United States Patent XEROGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS William J. Burris, Webster, Charles L. Huber, Byron, and Carl B. Kaiser, Rochester, N.Y., assignors to Haloid erox Inc., Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New ork Filed June 16, 1958, Ser. No. 742,372

Claims. (Cl. 137-625.48)

This invention relates to improvements in xerographic developing apparatus and, in particular, to an improved multiple pipe coupling apparatus for selectively pairing conduits in a pneumatic system for transporting powdered particles in the development station of a xerographic machine.

In the field of Xerography it is usual to form an electrostatic latent image on a xerographic plate which may, for example, be a photoconductive insulating layer on a conductive backing member. This electrostatic latent image can then be developed by treating it with a finely divided electroscopic material which is electrostatically attracted to the image surface in conformity with the latent image.

It has hitherto been suggested to incorporate a charged development electrode, as disclosed in Landrigan et a1. Patent 2,725,304, in the development station of a xerographic machine to improve development of the latent image. In the use of a development electrode, powdered developing material is introduced in the area, commonly referred to as the development zone, between the xerographic plate and the development electrode, the powdered developing material being supplied through a transport system, the developing material being transported through the system in the form of a powder cloud, which is a suspension of finely divided powder particles in an aeriform fluid, such as air.

It has also been suggested, as disclosed in Crumrine et al. Patent 2,784,694, that the quality of the developed latent image can be improved by periodically cleaning the development electrode.

Since the powder particles will adhere, not only to the development electrode, but will also adhere to the various elements of the transport system of the Xerographic device, it has been further suggested to clean the powder particles from the entire developing apparatus by purging the system with clean compressed aeriform fluid.

It is apparent that in such a system, a conduit which would normally have powder cloud flowing through it into the development zone must be periodically connected to a source of clean aeriform fluid.

In the usual type of hydraulic or pneumatic system, the control of fluid flow from one conduit to another can be readily accomplished by the use of a conventional coupling valve, such as, for example, a valve having either multiple inlets or multiple outlets, or both. A typical example of such a valve would be a common three-way valve.

However, such valves are not suitable for use in the powder cloud transport system of 'a xerographic machine because of the nature of the material forming the powder cloud.

As previously stated, the term powder cloud refers to a Suspension of finely divided powder particles in an aeriform fluid. such as air. These finely divided powder particles, which may be of sub-micron size. are very often abrasive in nature and have a common characteristic in that they readily pack together.

Patented Dec. 29, 1969 Thus, in a conventional valve, these powder particles carried in an aeriform fluid tend to undercut the valve parts and thereby destroy the effectiveness of the valve. Furthermore, and of prime importance, is the fact that the powder particles tend to pack in corners and sharp recesses and clog the valve elements causing malfunctioning of the valve. These packed powder particles in corners and sharp recesses would eventually break loose and produce agglomerates on the Xerographic prints.

It is therefore an object of this invention to improve Xerographic developing apparatus to permit the free and unobstructed flow of a powder cloud of developer material through the transport system of xerographic developing apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to improve multiple pipe coupling apparatus suitable for selectively connecting multiple conduits of a powder transport system.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by means of a multiple pipe coupling apparatus having a male coupling assembly and a female coupling, movable relative to each other for selectively coupling and uncoupling multiple pipe connectors in the powder development material transport system of a xerographic machine.

For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is had to the following detail description of the invention to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a top view of the multiple pipe coupling apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the multiple pipe coupling apparatus taken along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed enlarged view of the male coupling assembly of the multiple pipe cou ling apparatus, partially broken away to illustrate various elements of the assembly; and

Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, illustrative schematically various stages in the operation of the device.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, there is disclosed a multiple pipe coupling apparatus, having a pair of coupling assemblies, generally designated 10 and 11, respectively, movable relative to each other for selectively pairing conduits in a powder developing material transport system of a Xerographic machine.

Coupling assembly 10, which will be referred to hereinafter as the male coupling assembly, consists of a valve plate 12, referred to as a male valve plate, having a pair of apertures 13 into which are secured, as by silver solder 29. a pair of male connectors 14 described in more detail hereinafter. Male coupling assembly 10 is movably supported and guided by the coupler guide 15, which in the embodiment disclosed, consists of U-shaped guide 19 and base plate 16 secured together by screw fasteners 17. Valve plate 12 is also apertured at 18 to rece ve the stepped portion of rod connector 21 which is held in place by retainer ring 22 secured in a suitable groove 23 in the rod connector.

Linear movement of the male coupling assembly 10 parallel to the axes of the male connectors 14 is provided by air motor 24 which is secured to cou ler guide 15 by screw fasteners 25. The air motor (see Fi ures 5 to 8. inclusive) is of the well-known sin e actin tvne in which the forward stroke of piston rod 26 is effected by com ressed aeriform fluid. such as air. actin on a piston 28, while the return stroke is efiected by a spring 29. The piston rod 26 of the air motor 24 is threaded at one end to rod connector 21 and locked in position by set screw 27.

Coupling assembly 11, which will be referred to hereinafter as the female coupling assembly, consists of a valve plate 31, also referred to as a female valve plate 7 having three openings 32 into each of which are secured a female connector 33 described in more detail hereinafter. Each female connector 33 is held in place with respect-to the valve plate'by the flange 34 of thefemale connector abutting against one side of the-valve plate and on the-other side 'by a retainer ring 35 positioned in groove 36 formed in thefemaleconnector.

The coupler bracket 37, fastened tobase plate 16 by cap screws 38, movably supports the female coupling assembly by means of three studs 41; the-coupler bracket 37 also having an enlarged slot 42 through which the female connectors 33 may extend for unrestricted movement. Each stud 41 is positioned in a hole 43 formed in the coupler bracket, the end of each stud being peened over to prevent movement of the stud relative to the coupler bracket, while the other end of each stud is positioned in an elongated slot 44 formed in valve plate 31. A thrust washer 45 and a retainer ring 46 positioned in groove 47 formed in each stud limits axial movement of the valve plate in one direction, while the shoulder 43 of stud 41 limits axial movement of the valve plate in the opposite direction.

Movement of the coupling assembly 11 at right angles to the axes of the male connectors 14, is effected by a pair of well-known solenoids 51 mounted on spacer blocks 52 positioned on base plate 16, the solenoids and spacer blocks being secured by machine screws 53 and 54, respectively. The forked end of each plunger 55 of the solenoids 51 is connected to the valve plate 31 by clevis pins 56 retained in place by cotter pins 57; the solenoids being positioned so that the plunger 55 on the right-hand solenoid as viewed in Fig. 3 is fully retracted while the plunger on the left-hand solenoid is fuily extended. In this position the left hand and center female connectors are in axial alignment with the two male connectors. If the left-hand plunger is retracted with corresponding extension of the right-hand plunger the right-hand and center female connectors are brought into alignment with the two male connectors.

The male and female connectors 14 and '33, respectively, are Well-known straight through pipe connectors, that is, they contain no valves in the passageways 5? and 60 of connectors 14 and 33, respectively, to hinder flow of fluid through the passageways. The male connectors 14 have bevel stepped end portions 61 which are mateable with complementary board passages 62 in each of the female connectors 31. A pair of connectors, when mated, are sealed by O-rings 63 positioned in each of the board passages 62 of the female connectors 33. 'The connectors 14 and 33 may be connected in a suitable transport system, not shown since it forms no part of the instant invention, by rubber tubing 64 or other suitable conduits secured to the connectors by hose clamps 65.

From the description of this structure, it is apparent that the coupling assemblies and 11 can be either normally engaged or disengaged, or that, either the righthand or left-hand solenoid 55, as viewed in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, may be normally energized with the resultant positioning of the female coupling assembly 11 to either the left-hand or right-hand position as shown in the above referenced figures. However, for the purpose of describing theoperation of the subject invention, the operating sequence of the apparatus as actually used on a xerographic machine will be described. In this installation the normal position of the male and female couplings, 10 and 11, respectively, is as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5.

In order to effect selective coupling and uncoupling of the male and female couplers, the air motor24 is alternately connected through a three-way solenoid valve 66 to either a high pressure air line'67 or to an exhaust line 68, the solenoid valve 66 as well as solenoids 51 being controlled by sequential timer 69, which supplies operating voltages in'thedesired .sequenceto the solenoids 51 and solenoid valve 66 for the purpose of energizing or deenergizing the solenoids. In its simplest form the timer 69 may consist of a motor driven, rotary, multi-contact switch coupled to a power source and having a moving contact arranged to connect said source cyclicly and in desired sequence to the solenoids. Such a timer could, for example, be a Model RC-ZC-lZ timer, manufactured by the Industrial Timer Corporation.

As shown in Fig. 5, the male and female couplers are normally disengaged, the air motor 24 being vented to the exhaust line 68permittingthe piston .28 and piston rod 26 to be fully retracted by the action of spring 29, while the left-hand solenoid-51 is energized, drawing the female coupling assembly toward the left, the right-hand solenoid 51 being de-energized to permit this movement.

As the solenoid valve 66 is activated by timer 69, the air motor 24 is connected directly to the'high pressure air line 67 permitting high pressure air to enter the air motor to effect a forward stroke of the piston 28 with the resultant movement of the male coupling assembly 10 into engagement with the female coupling 11 as shown in Figure 6. In this position the right-handfemale connector is paired with the right-hand male connector and the center female connector-is paired with the left-handmale connector. In the next step in the sequence of operation, the air motor 24 is again vented to theexhaust line 68 by the actuation of solenoid valve 66 by timer-69, the spring 29 forcing a returnstroke of the piston 28, thereby uncoupling the coupling assemblies 10. and 11. With the coupling assemblies 10 and 11 uncoupled, the right-hand solenoid 51 is energized while the left-hand solenoid is simultaneously de-energized by the timer 69, causing the female coupling assembly 11 to shift from left to right as shown in Fig. 7.

In the following sequence of operation the solenoid valve 66 is again activated to permit high pressure air to enter the air motor 24 to effect a second power stroke to once again couple the coupling assemblies 10 and '11. In this position, as illustrated in 'Fig. 8, the center female connector is now paired with .the right-hand male connector, while the left-hand female connector is paired to the left-hand male connector. In the last sequence of operation the'solenoid valve 66 is againactivated to vent the air motor 24 to the exhaust line 68 thereby effecting uncoupling of'the coupling assemblies 10 and 11, and the left-hand solenoid '51 is energized and the right-hand solenoid 51 is simultaneously de-energized, the coupling assemblies returning to their normal position as shown in Fig.5.

Although one mode of operation of the apparatus has been described, it is apparent that the coupling assembly can either normally be engagedor disengaged, or that, either the right-hand or'left-hand solenoids 55 may be normally energized with the resultant positioning of the female coupling assembly 11 to either the right-hand or left-hand side of the apparatus, as viewed in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the male and female connectors are not normallycoupled, and since these connectors are through-flow connectors, it is obvious that in order to permit control of fluid flow in a transport system, some or 'all of the conduits mustbe controlled by suitable valves, which have 'not'been'shown since they are not requiredfor a complete understanding of the subject invention.

In the device described herein it is apparentthat any number of male and female connectors may be used in the device, provided there are N number o'f-one'type of connectors,'and N+1 number ofa second type of connector, it also being apparent thatthe position "of the connectors could be reversed, that is, male connectors could be secured to valve plate 31 whilefemale connectors could 'besecured'to valve-plate 1 2. filt 'is also noted that although-throu'gh-flow connectors are shown and described "herein,-valved connectorscould be substituted for the through=flow ;connectors described.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described, variations in detail similar to those already described are contemplated and are considered within the scope of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a powder cloud transport system for a Xerographic machine, a coupling apparatus including a base plate, a guide connected to said base plate, a coupler bracket connected to said base plate, a first coupling means having N number of male pipe connectors movably supported by said guide, a second coupling means having N +1 number of female pipe connectors movably supported by said coupler bracket, said male pipe connectors and said female pipe connectors being positioned in a common plane, a first power means connected to said first coupling means for moving said first coupling means parallel to the axes of said male pipe connectors selectively to a first position in which said male pipe connectors are coupled to N number of said female pipe connectors and to a second position in which said male pipe connectors are uncoupled from said female pipe connectors, and a second power means connected to said second coupling means for moving said female pipe connectors in a direction at right angles to said male pipe connectors on said first coupling means to enable said male pipe connectors to be selectively coupled to an N number of said female pipe connectors.

2. In a powder cloud transport system for a xerographic machine, a coupling apparatus including a base plate, a guide connected to said base plate, a first power means connected to said base plate, a first valve plate operatively connected to said first power means and guided by said guide, a N number of pipe connectors connected to said first valve plate, a coupler bracket connected to said base plate, a second valve plate movably connected to said coupler bracket, a N+1 number of mateable pipe connectors connected to said second valve plate, said pipe connectors and said mateable pipe connectors being positioned in a common plane, and a second power means connected to said second valve plate for moving said second valve plate relative to said first valve plate whereby said mateable pipe connectors are moved at right angles to said pipe connectors on said first valve plate, said first valve plate being movable by said first power means from a first position in which said pipe connectors are coupled to N number of said mateable pipe connectors, to a second position in which said pipe connectors are uncoupled from said mateable pipe connectors, said first valve plate being moved in a direction parallel to the axes of said pipe connectors.

3. A multiple pipe coupling apparatus including a coupler guide, a first coupling assembly having N number of male pipe connectors movably supported by said coupler guide for movement in a direction parallel to the axes of said male pipe connectors, a coupler bracket positioned in spaced relationship to said first coupling assembly, a second coupling assembly, having N+1 number of female pipe connectors, movably connected to said coupler bracket for movement at right angles to said first coupling assembly, said male pipe connectors and said female pipe connectors being positioned in a common plane, a first power means connected to said first coupling assembly for moving said first coupling assembly from a first position in which said male pipe connectors of said first coupling assembly are coupled with N number of said female pipe connectors to a second position in which said male pipe connectors are uncoupled from said female pipe connectors, and a second power means connected to said second coupling assembly for moving said second coupling assembly in a direction at right angles to said male pipe connectors of said first coupling assembly to enable said male pipe connectors to be selectively coupled to an N number of said female pipe connectors.

4. A multiple pipe coupling apparatus including a base plate, a coupler guide connected to said base plate, a coupler bracket mounted to said base plate in spaced relation to said coupler guide, a first valve plate movably connected to said coupler guide, a second valve plate movably connected to said coupler bracket in spaced parallel relationship to said first valve plate, an N number of pipe connectors connected to said first valve plate and positioned in a common plane, an N-l-l number of mateable pipe connectors connected to said second valve plate and positioned in said common plane, a first power means connected to said first valve plate for moving said first valve plate to a first position in which said pipe connectors are coupled to N number of said mateable pipe connectors, and to a second position in which said pipe connectors are uncoupled from said mateable pipe connectors, the movement of said pipe connectors being in a direction parallel to their axes, and a second power means connected to said second valve plate for moving said mateable pipe connectors at right angles to said pipe connectors whereby said pipe connectors may be selectively coupled with an N number of said mateable pipe connectors.

5. A coupling apparatus for use in a powder cloud transport system for a xerographic machine, the coupling apparatus including a base plate, a guide connected to said base plate, a coupler bracket connected to said base plate, a first coupling means having a first male pipe connector, and a second male pipe connector positioned in a common plane, movably supported by said guide; a second coupling means having a first female pipe connector, a second female pipe connector, and a third female pipe connector positioned in said common plane, movably supported by said coupler bracket, a first power means connected to said first coupling means for moving said first coupling means parallel to the axis of said first male pipe connector and said second male pipe connector, and a second power means connected to said second coupling means for moving said second coupling means in a direction at right angles to the axis of said male pipe connectors whereby said first male connector and said second male connector are axially aligned with said first female pipe connector and said second female pipe connector, respectively, and to a second position in which said first male pipe connector and said second male pipe connector are axially aligned With said second female pipe connector and said third female pipe connector, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,638,915 Mitchell May 19, 1953 

